Blinded
by nottoocrazy
Summary: Dean wakes up blind after a hunt.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR NOTE: Came up with this one day, decided to run with it. I think I'm gonna set it sometime during season 5, just for simplicity. I miss the good old days when all our boys did was deal with Lucifer. Oh, god, this fandom has problems. -_-**

**Anyway, I suppose there'll be spoilers for season 5, and there shouldn't be any slash. Unless I bring Cas into it. Then Destiel might sneak its way into my story, as usual. -_-**

* * *

"I'mma hit the hay."

Sam nodded as his brother collapsed on his motel bed. They'd just gotten back from a long hunt that evening, and, while they'd been up since dawn, Sam thought it was a little odd that Dean was so tired. Usually he opted for eating or watching TV, or at least washing up before going to bed. He didn't even change his clothes. Sam frowned, shaking his head dismissively as he opened up his laptop.

The boys had encountered a new creature that day, and, while, luckily, they were able to deal with it, Sam knew there was research to be done on the subject. It had reportedly attacked a few citizens in Dubois, Wyoming throughout the week, leaving two teens dead, one man blind, and an 8 year old child traumatized for life. This monster, unluckily for its victims, was invisible. It couldn't be seen, nor heard. Sam reasoned it couldn't be touched or smelled either, that somehow it was imperceptible to humans.

However, when the Winchesters had caught it in a family's home that evening, they could see and hear it just fine. Dean had held what he called the "fugly thing" down with little trouble as Sam tried a number of methods to kill it. It took about 15 minutes, but he finally managed to destroy the unnamed monster by beheading it with a pure silver blade. Sam massaged his temples as he winced at the abhorrent memory. After about half an hour of no results, the younger Winchester gave up his research for the night and went to bed.

* * *

It was still dark when Dean woke up. Lifting his head from his pillow, the hunter frowned as he realized it was _too_ dark. "What time is it?" he mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed. It was warm, which was a comfort, but something about the profound darkness that surrounded the hunter's open eyes had Dean feeling unnerved.

"About 10 A.M.," came Sam's reply. "It's about time you got up."

Dean frowned at his brother's tone, contemplating a witty comeback, then dropped his jaw as panic rushed over him. It was 10 in the morning, and he couldn't see. Sam hadn't acted like there was anything weird going on with the sun that particular morning. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Sammy."

"Hm?"

"I can't see."


	2. Chapter 2

The rising panic in his older brother's voice had Sam up and away from his laptop in seconds to assist Dean. "What?"

"I can't see, Sam." Dean sounded frustrated now, as if having to repeat it made it real and even more terrifying.

Sam blinked, waving a hand in front of Dean's face before sitting on the bed across from him. "Why?"

Dean didn't seem to have the answer, rolling his eyes before he closed them and curled up on the bed. "I dunno, but I gotta be honest, Sam, I'm kinda freaking out here." There was a pause, and Sam could swear he heard his brother sniff as if to hold back tears. "If we don't know how it happened, how the hell are we supposed to fix it?"

Sam looked at his brother sympathetically before standing. "It was probably that thing we killed yesterday. That one guy ended up blind, remember?" Dean nodded, bringing a hand up to massage his temples. "I'm gonna do some research."

"Great," Dean mumbled. "I'm gonna lay here and freak out."

If Dean was trying to sound comical, it didn't come across as such. Sam took a deep breath before taking a seat and googling "creatures that cause blindness", shooting his panicked brother a worried glance every now and then.

A few minutes later, Sam glanced from where he sat at his laptop to see Dean slowly getting out of his motel bed. He tried not to look as his brother struggled to get around without sight, feeling for the small dresser that contained his clothes. He'd made no progress in his research. Was it possible that the creature they'd encountered was just a coincidence? Maybe there was nothing supernatural about it. "Have you been having any trouble with your eyes?" Sam inquired after Dean found his clothes. "Headaches, blurred vision, anything?"

Dean shook his head. "But I did feel a little weird when we got back to the motel room last night."

"What kind of weird?"

Dean shrugged, turning to walk towards the bathroom. "I dunno. Woozy?"

Sam cursed under his breath, remembering the words of the man they'd spoken to the day before.

* * *

_"I knew there was something there, you know? I could just sense it, like my son was in trouble."_

_"You think it was going after your son?" Dean had asked._

_The man, Mark, had nodded, his eyes unfocused as he looked in the hunter's general direction. "It was going after him, like it did those teenagers. I ran up the stairs, into James's room, and I saw it."_

_"You saw it? The invisible monster?" Sam had asked, exchanging glances with Dean._

_"Yes. And it was the last thing I saw. I tried to fight it, hitting it a few times before you two showed up. After that, I started feeling sick, and then... darkness." Mark frowned. "I think... I think I could see it because it wasn't trying to attack me."_

_Dean shifted where he stood in Mark's living room. "You mean, like, it only goes Danny Phantom when it's around its victims?" Sam frowned at his brother's reference, to which Dean looked away awkwardly._

_Mark shrugged. "It would seem so."_

_Dean thought for a moment. "So these victims are chosen, then. Like it's got a list or something."_

_"Sounds like it," Sam had said. "And I'm guessing anyone who interferes with that list... pays a price."_

_Mark had smiled sadly as he shook his head. "I don't regret saving my son. Not for a second."_

* * *

Sam watched as Dean came out of the bathroom, his shirt on backwards and his hair still disheveled. He wondered how long his brother would be like this, choosing not to consider the idea that his condition could be irreversible.

Was it possible that Dean's interaction with the monster had led to his blindness, as it did Mark's? But Sam had seen it, too. He'd killed it! Why wasn't _he_ blind?

"How's the research going, Sammy?" Dean sat on the edge of his bed after having felt around for it. He didn't bother to hold his head up, holding his hands in his lap as he tried to hide the tear stains on his cheek. If Sam saw them, he didn't acknowledge it.

"I never touched it."

"Huh?"

Sam stood, nodding as he came to a conclusion. "I never touched it. You did. I mutilated the hell out of it, but you were holding it with your bare hands. Mark said he threw in a few punches before he lost his vision." Dean widened his useless eyes as he sat up straighter. "You both touched that thing, and now you're both blind."

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTE: I apologize for the short chapters, but, I wanna write and upload as much as I can as fast as I can and this is all I can do right now, so. Yeah.**

**Suggestions? Comments? Reviews are much appreciated. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

"Dean? You, uh, you feeling up for going out?"

It was 11:05 and Sam was getting restless. His brother had slumped onto his bed and laid there quietly- _too_ quietly, for half an hour. Sam needed to get out. He needed to think so he could fix this.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Let me just grab my cane and we can walk around town and have a jolly old time."

Sam pursed his lips, shaking his head as he stomped over to his brother's side and grabbed the man by the arm, startling the blinded hunter. "Up. We're going out."

"Sam." Dean's bitter humor dissolved into a broken whisper, and it was all Sam could do not to start crying right then and there. The taller Winchester stood up straight and shook his head.

"Dean, you're not gonna sit around here and mope like all is lost! We're gonna get you your sight back, and I need your help." Sam sighed, pulling Dean off the bed to his feet. "We need to visit that guy, Mark, again."

Dean huffed. "What could he do? He's a victim, Sam! We're both victims! You wanna sit around and have a pity party?!"

"Damn it, Dean. I wanna see if we missed something."

"I wanna see, too." Sam grimaced in sympathy as Dean turned his head toward the floor. "You really think we could have missed something?"

Forgetting that his brother couldn't see it, Sam shrugged. After a few seconds of silence, he realized his mistake. "Uhm, I dunno, maybe."

"I don't... I don't wanna see him. I mean. Y'know."

Sam brought a hand to his forehead with a sigh. "Okay. Okay, Dean." He laid a hand on Dean's shoulder. "But we gotta get something to eat. You haven't eaten all day, and we don't have anything here."

"I don't-"

"Dean." Sam shook his head, leaving his brother's side to fetch his keys and wallet. "Look, I know you don't wanna go out right now, but you've gotta eat. And... I dunno, maybe we can get you a... a walking stick or something?"

Sam heard Dean snicker as he stood cautiously. "Right." Dean felt his way over to his bedside table and found his cellphone, shoving it in his pocket. "No way in hell am I ever using one of those, Sam." He tried to look in his brother's general direction as he strode over to the door. "Let's go."

* * *

Sam held Dean's arm, leading him into the restaurant.

"Don't worry, Dean, there's only like a dozen people here, max."

The elder brother acted as though being dependent on Sam upset him, but really, he was grateful. As much as he disliked being walked around, he'd prefer it over tripping or running into something in public. He let Sam walk with him to a booth, then found his own way into his seat across from him.

"Anything I can get started for you boys?"

Sam gave the elderly waitress a sweet smile and shook his head. "Just two glasses of water, for now."

"Aw, come on, man," Dean complained as he heard their waitress walk away. "Water?"

"What, you wanted beer?" Sam chuckled. "I think that'd only make things worse for you, Dean."

Dean crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the booth. "Yeah, well… you make sure I get a good, unhealthy, greasy cheeseburger, then."

Sam laughed. "Sure."

When the waitress returned, Sam ordered a salad for himself and a burger for his brother, quickly adding fries when Dean kicked him under the table. They ate their meal in silence, and Sam tried to avoid watching his sightless brother struggle to eat without making a complete mess. If it weren't for the gravity of the situation, he'd have found it funny.

As soon as they finished eating and made their way back to the Impala, Dean demanded that they return to the motel.

"Dean…"

"What? What else is there to do, Sammy?"

Sam made a face at his brother's increasingly edgy tone, and nodded to himself as he surrendered. "Fine. We'll go back." He started up the engine, and didn't protest when Dean found the radio and blared some Black Sabbath.

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTE: Sorry for the short and delayed chapters, guys. I'm having trouble with this one. -_-**


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you think we should call Castiel?" Sam asked his brother, who had retreated back to his bed, staring in the general direction of the motel room's television set. Why Dean was trying to watch TV in his condition was beyond Sam. It only seemed to upset the hunter that he couldn't see the hot doctors on Doctor Sexy.

Dean didn't even bother turning his head toward his brother, arms folded over his chest as he rested with his back against the bed's headboard. "What good would that do?"

Sam stood with a huff. "He could help. He might be able to heal you, or at least tell us what to do."

Shrugging, Dean pursed his lips for a moment. "Worth a shot, I guess."

As he whipped out his cell phone, Sam shot his brother a bitchface he knew he couldn't see. He understood that Dean didn't want to get his hopes up, but he could at least have a little more faith in their friend. Sam shook his head as he dialed Cas's cell and bit his tongue when it went to voicemail, resisting the urge to chuckle at the angel's confusion while his brother was having a crisis on the other side of the room. "Hey, Cas, it's Sam. Dean and I could really use your help. Dean's, uh, he's blind. So, if you could get over to, uh... Sunny City Motel in Dubois, Wyoming, we'd uh, really appreciate it. Thanks, bye."

"Voicemail?" Dean mumbled.

Sam nodded, then mentally slapped himself as he cleared his throat. "Yeah, I left a message." Setting his phone on the table, the younger Winchester sat back down and resumed his search for a cure.

It wasn't even five minutes later that Dean gave up on "watching" TV. "Now what?" he muttered expectantly, as though it was his brother's job to keep him occupied.

Glancing at the sightless hunter, Sam bit his tongue to keep his face from contorting into another unnecessary bitchface. "Now nothing. Now we wait."

"Well what am I supposed to do until-"

"I don't know, Dean! Why don't you learn braille!" Sam regretted his words immediately, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head and sighed. "Look-" Dean snorted at the word before Sam corrected himself, trying to keep his voice from sounding too edgy. "Listen, just... I'm trying to find a cure for you, Dean. You've gotta find ways to entertain yourself so I can think. I mean, come on, can't you think of anything you can do? There've gotta be things you enjoy doing that don't require sight."

Dean chuckled. "...Can't really do _that_ with you in the room-"

"Aw, come on, Dean! Gross." Sam scrunched his face up in disgust, ignoring his brother's teasing laughter as he returned his attention to the computer. The room was silent for a few seconds before the younger Winchester turned back toward Dean. "Hey, why don't you try cleaning the car?"

With a snort, Dean folded his arms over his chest. "Right."

"What? You're capable of at least spraying and toweling down the exterior, Dean."

"We don't have a hose," Dean said quickly.

"Don't we have a spray bottle?"

"Yeah, for holy water!"

"So? It's empty right now, fill it with regular water and be productive, Dean!"

"I DON'T-" Dean sighed. "Fine." He made his way off the bed and to the door. "Fine. Keys?"

Sam nodded, not looking up from his laptop as he picked up and tossed the keys at his brother. His head snapped up when he heard Dean grunt, the keys hitting his chest and dropping to the floor.

"Nice."

"Crap, Dean, I'm sorry, man," Sam said quickly, wondering how long it would take him to get used to this and frustrated that it seemed to be harder for him to adapt to than his own now-sightless brother.

"Whatever," Dean said as he cautiously bent over and searched the floor with his hand until he found the keys. "Tell me when you know something," he said as he opened the door, "or if Cas calls back."

"Sure, yeah. Uh, shout if you need anything."

"Right."

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTE: Guys, I am having so much trouble with this story I almost regret starting it. Almost. I will eventually finish it, I promise.**


	5. Chapter 5

It wasn't even ten minutes after his brother left the room that Sam heard Dean exclaim, "God damn it!" He didn't think it sounded too urgent, but, decided to leave his laptop for the moment and check on him. He opened the door to be greeted with the sight of Dean drenched, head to toe, angrily gripping a running hose as he stood in a puddle beside the Impala.

"What-" Sam had to cough to keep from laughing. "What happened?!"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Dean turned toward the car, tossing the hose on the ground. Sam rushed to pick it up and follow the trail back to its faucet, turning the motel's hose off and trying to remember if any of the motels he'd ever stayed at had a complimentary hose. Weird. He walked back over to Dean, who'd rid himself of his shirt and was working on his pants.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Sam said, grabbing his brother's arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Well I'm not gonna stay in these," the soaking hunter argued.

Sam huffed, gesturing at the open space Dean couldn't see. "There are _people_ around here, Dean. You can't just walk around in your-"

"Hey, I'll be doing this town a favor. Last I saw, there weren't many attractive guys out here." The hunter chuckled, removing his belt, then sighed after a few moments of silence. He could _feel_ Sam's bitchface. "Fine," he said, throwing his hands in the air, nearly smacking his brother in the face. "I'll just stay out here 'til these dry." Dean turned back to the Impala, grabbing a cloth from the hood and focusing all his attention on cleaning. Sam shook his head and went back inside.

* * *

"Hey, Bobby," Sam said into his phone.

"_What's going on, kid?_"

"Dean... uh, we have a problem." Sam sighed. "Dean wrestled with some unidentified monster and now he's blind."

"_...The hell did you idjits get yourselves into?_"

Sam shrugged. "We didn't know it-"

"_Is it reversible?_"

"I don't know, Bobby. It's hasn't even been a day..."

"_I'll get on down there as soon as I can_," Bobby said on the other end of the phone. "_You boys hang in there._"

Sam nodded, muttering a "thanks" before hanging up. He hadn't returned his attention to his laptop for more than 5 seconds before Dean started blaring the car radio loud enough that Sam knew they'd get complaints, even in the middle of the day.

"Dean," the younger Winchester said upon opening the motel door. Dean's torso was leaning in the passenger side of the car, and from what Sam could tell, he was feeling around for trash and stuffing it in a plastic bag from some local gas station's food mart. He was singing along to a classic rock song, but it was so loud, Sam couldn't even decipher the lyrics. It was just noise, at this volume. "Dean!"

Startled by his brother's voice, Dean jolted, hitting his head on the roof of the car before making his way out. "What?!"

Sam placed his hands over his ears. "Turn it down!"

"What?"

"TURN IT DOWN."

Dean rolled his eyes and turned, slowly to avoid collision with the door he couldn't see, back to the car and reached in the turn down the radio. He tried to look in his brother's general direction when he faced him again. "Problem?"

Sam's bitchface spoke volumes, but Dean couldn't hear it. He stepped outside and shut the door behind him. "That music is too loud, Dean, you're gonna piss people off."

"Huh. I don't really care about pissing people off, so-"

"Well, it's pissing _me_ off, Dean. So cut it out. Or I swear to God, I'll destroy that stereo."

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Dean said, wincing at the thought of his brother following through. "Any word from Cas?" The hunter didn't look too hopeful.

Sam shook his head. "No, not yet."

"Figures."

"I called Bobby, though. He's on his way."

Dean snorted. "Dude, that's like a 12 hour drive, we're not staying here that long."

"Yeah, Dean, we are," Sam argued. "Where else are we gonna go?"

Shrugging, Dean got back in the car and fished around for more junk. "I bet we can find a decent hunt in the area."

Sam laughed. "No. You're not going on any hunts w-"

"For God's sake, Sam, I'm a grown ass man! I can go on a hunt if I freakin' want to!"

"Not in your condition, Dean," Sam persisted. "I'm not letting you."

"Then what else is there to do?! Want me to detail the car, Sam?! Or should I just settle down and get a guide dog?!"

"Jesus, Dean, it's only a day! You can't stay here for a _day_?!"

"...There's nothing to do around here," the blind hunter muttered, tying up a full bag of garbage.

Sam crossed his arms. "Well, then, where do you suggest we go?"

"We can meet Bobby halfway, start driving back toward South Dakota," Dean decided, tossing the bag of trash at his brother.

Catching the bag, Sam bit his tongue. "The problem is here, Dean. It happened here. There might be more evidence we can use."

"Like, what, Sam?" Dean shut the door to the Impala and faced his brother, arms folded over his chest.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, but, Dean, we can't just leave. What if these things travel in packs or something? What if we're not done here?"

Dean smirked. "Well, I'm not in any condition to hunt," he said, mimicking his brother's earlier tone. "And besides, I don't think they travel in packs."

"How do you know?"

"A hunch."

"A hunch?" Sam asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, I just don't feel like that's the case."

"Oh, you mean like how you didn't _feel_ like it might be a hazard to touch that thing?" Sam shook his head. "We're not trusting your hunches, Dean."

Dean looked like he'd just been punched in the face as he tilted his head down.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Sam sighed. "I'm sorry." He moved to give his brother a hug. The older hunter resisted at first, but soon clung to Sam.

Dean choked back tears as he pulled away. "What if this is permanent?" It came out in a whisper, the finally spoken fear that had been bothering the boys all day.

Sam shook his head, frowning. "It won't be. We're gonna figure this out, like we always do."

The sound of their motel room door opening behind Sam had the hunter spinning around.

Castiel peered outside, squinting before laying eyes on the brothers.

"You called?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Cas," Dean breathed. He cleared his throat, crossing his arms. "Took you long enough to get here."

Castiel frowned. "I was otherwise engaged," he snapped. "Sam, you said your brother is blind?"

"I'm right here, you know," Dean said as Sam nodded.

"It was caused by some creature we've never seen before," Sam explained. "And since we don't really know what it is… we can't find a cure," the hunter continued as Castiel stepped closer to his blinded brother. "So, we were hoping you could… help out."

"Yeah, like, maybe angel mojo my eyes back into working condition," Dean said, frowning as he felt the angel's presence. "Cas… you're in my face."

Castiel squinted and stepped back. "I can't do anything about this right now. I'm sorry, Dean." He looked down, avoiding the Winchesters' hopeless expressions. "I've been… cut off from heaven, to a certain extent. I can't heal you. But I can tell you what caused this."

Looking up, Sam nodded. "Great, we can work with that. Let's go inside, then."

"I'm not done drying," Dean mumbled. He barely finished his sentence when his clothes were suddenly dry, and Cas reached for his arm.

"I'm not completely useless, Dean," the angel stated as he led the hunter inside with a determined expression that Sam had to chuckle at.

* * *

"Okay, so, what are we dealing with, here?" Sam asked as the three of them stood around the kitchenette.

"A wendigo," Cas informed. "I believe you're familiar with the species."

Sam looked at Dean, who appeared to share his skepticism. "That was no wendigo," the younger Winchester argued. "It was invisible half the time, and this isn't where they would hunt, and-"

"It _was_ a wendigo," Castiel interrupted, annoyed. "A variation of one. It's adapted over years of experience, and it appears that it's learned how to disable any attackers to a degree."

Dean crossed his arms. "We beheaded it with a silver blade, Cas. Wendigos are killed with fire." Sam nodded, looking to Castiel.

"This one's evolved, Dean," Cas said.

"Well that doesn't make any sen-"

"I'm not going to explain the scientific and supernatural factors that caused the wendigo's evolution, Dean, but I will inform you that its effect on you may be temporary."

Dean stepped toward the angel. "Temporary?" There was an inkling of hope there, and it had the brothers all but beaming.

"Yes," Castiel explained, "in the same way that looking directly at the sun can cause temporary blindness in humans, it is possible that the wendigo's skin had a similar effect on you."

Sam grinned, slapping Cas on the back. "Fantastic."

"So, temporary…," Dean said. "How long?"

Castiel shrugged, looking from Dean to Sam. "Days? Weeks? I don't know. I'm not an expert."

Dean chuckled. "Alright, well… you sure this is really temporary tho-"

The hunter was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sam drew his eyebrows together, grabbing his gun off the table as he walked toward the door.

"Sam? Dean?" a voice asked. "It's Mark."

Sam widened his eyes and opened the door. "Mark? How'd you find us?"

"I asked around."

"Wait… can you… can you see?"

The man smiled, nodding. "It's a miracle, it wore off!"

"I don't believe heaven had any part in your recovery," Cas stated from the kitchen as Sam led Mark into the room.

Mark's smile didn't wear off as he looked quizzically at the angel. "Who's this?"

"I'm an angel of the Lord. I was merely stating that your recovery was no miracle, it was-"

"It doesn't matter," Dean interrupted, breaking into a wide grin, "'cause if you're not blind, then I won't be."

Mark frowned. "It got you, too?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded, "when we finally tracked it down, Dean touched it. And so did you. That's how you ended up blind."

"Well, it lasted about 5 days, for me," Mark said. "If the effects wear off, I'm sure you'll be fine in a week or so."

"Best news I've heard all day," Dean said.

"So, your son," Sam said to Mark, "uh… Jack?"

"James."

"James, right. How's he doing?"

With a shrug, Mark offered a lopsided smile. "He's alive, that's all that matters."

"But a bit freaked about the fact that monsters are real," Dean mumbled sadly. "Sucks, man. Poor kid."

"He's strong," Mark said, "he'll be alright. I guess I should be going, I just wanted to tell you what happened."

Sam nodded, walking him to the door. "Thanks, man. Really." He turned back to his brother and Castiel after closing the door, a smile on his face. "Told you it wasn't gonna be permanent."

"Yeah… shut up," Dean waved a hand, biting back a grin.


	7. Chapter 7

"So, now we just sit it out?" Dean guessed, taking a seat on the edge of his bed and swatting Castiel's helping hand away. "I got it, man."

"A human's senses aren't as developed as an angel's," Cas explained. "I'm merely trying to assist you as one of your senses has been taken from you."

Dean smirked. "Well, thanks, but, I'm fine," he said. Sam had gone out to bring back some dinner, leaving Cas to "keep an eye on Dean". The older Winchester had scoffed at the phrase, mumbling something about how he didn't need to be babysat and Cas was the one who needed to be looked after. "You gonna stick around?"

"If you want me to," the angel replied. "I've nothing to do at the moment."

"Great," Dean said as he leaned back on his bed, "we can throw a little party after I get my sight back."

Castiel squinted, hesitantly sitting next to the hunter. "What would a 'little party' involve?"

"Pie, for one thing. Beer. Burgers, pizza? Hell, I don't know. Whatever the hell we want."

"I have no preferences."

"Yeah, we need to do something about that."

Tilting his head, Cas squinted at Dean. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Cas, you need to start _liking_ things. Like," Dean sighed, "having a favorite food or song or something. You need more… character."

"I like burgers," Castiel offered.

Dean chuckled, resting his hands over his chest. "Yeah, you do. We need to get you started on some good music."

"I'm aware of what 'good music' is, Dean," Castiel informed, "I've listened to my brothers and sisters in heaven sing and rejoi-"

"I mean real music, man."

Castiel glared at the man beside him, standing as he ordered, "Don't mock the angelic choir, Dean."

It was all Dean could do not to erupt with laughter. He cleared his throat and turned his head away from the angel so he couldn't see him grinning. "Sorry. I just mean… you should listen to more classic rock, you know."

Cas didn't know. Cas didn't really care, either, but he indulged Dean when the hunter told him to find the bedside table's radio and flip through stations until he found a good one. The angel stopped on a gospel station for a few seconds before Dean mumbled, "Dude, no."

"What's wrong with this?" Castiel demanded.

"Classic rock, Cas. I said classic rock."

"Very well." The angel continued his search, releasing the button when a catchy, synthy, pop tune filled his ears.

_"...I'm on a ride, you're toxic, I'm slippin' under. With a taste of a poison paradise..."_

Dean's hand quickly found the radio and pounded every button it felt until the music stopped. "Dude. NO."

"What was wrong with that one?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."

Castiel sighed, placing his hands in his lap. "Now what?"

Dean thought for a moment. "Go get Sam's laptop."

The angel scanned the room, eyes landing on the table as he stood and retrieved the laptop. "It appears that he was already using-"

"Yeah, whatever, type 'Led Zeppelin' in the search bar," Dean interrupted.

Castiel frowned, unsure about whether or not Sam would get upset if he messed with his computer. He narrowed his eyes, staring at the screen. "Where is the search bar?"

"Uh, at the top of the window."

"What?"

Dean groaned, sitting up and reaching out for the laptop. "Lemme see it."

Castiel placed the computer in the hunter's hands, and watched as Dean moved the cursor around the screen.

"Is there an arrow right here?" he asked, circling the cursor over an icon at the top of the web browser.

"No. That looks like a house. There are two arrows next to it."

Dean beamed. "I got this." He moved the cursor a fraction of an inch over, clicked, and felt around the keyboard, trying to remember where each letter was. He may not be as much of a nerd as his brother, but he definitely spent a good amount of time on computers. He hit enter and pushed the laptop toward Cas. "Click on the first video you see."

Cas peered at the page. "'Ramble On Led Zeppelin Audio'?"

"That's it."

* * *

Sam drove up to the parking space in front of the motel room with two boxes of pizza, having decided to cater to Dean's request and forget about eating healthy for a day. As he approached the door and got out the key, he was greeted with the sound of Dean singing Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On" at the top of his lungs. He stopped, listening from the outside as he detected another voice, deeper… was Cas singing?!

Opening the door, Sam watched as his brother turned and grinned in his direction, shouting over the music and Cas's voice, "Look who learned a new song today!"

Cas looked up, going silent and avoiding Sam's gaze. He clicked the pause button and looked away ashamedly.

Chuckling, Sam nodded as he placed the boxes on the table. "Good for you, Cas. Dean must be proud."

"Damn right I'm proud." Dean reached for Cas's hair, nearly smacking him in the face before finding and fluffing the angel's dark locks. "You done good, Cas."

Castiel was glad Dean couldn't see him blushing as he turned away and stood, mumbling a "thank you".

"Alright," Dean said, slapping his hands together and getting off the bed. "Where's my pizza?"


	8. Chapter 8

After devouring 5 slices of pepperoni pizza, Dean announced his fullness and collapsed on the bed nearest to him. He would have hit the floor if it weren't for his brother's steady hand on his arm.

"This is _my_ bed, Dean," the younger Winchester said, "and _that_ was almost the floor."

"Why, _thank you_, my lovely guide dog," Dean mocked, then frowned. "Now, uh, where's _my_ bed?"

With a huff, Sam pulled his brother up and shoved him toward his bed. "There."

"Nice, Sammy. Smooth."

"Don't mention it."

Dean rolled his eyes. He waved at the air in front of him, figuring Cas was still somewhere in the vicinity. "Hey, angel! Ready for more tunes?"

Cas shot a wary look at Sam, who winced in sympathy. The sighted Winchester mouthed, "Sorry."

With a deep sigh, Castiel trudged over to Dean's bed like he was being sent to a time-out chair. "Okay, Dean."

"What?" Dean frowned. "You don't wanna learn some more Led Zepp, or maybe some AC/DC or something?"

"It is… tiring, and difficult," Cas confessed as he took a seat on the edge of Dean's bed.

"How about some Metallica?"

"I don't even know what that is, Dean."

Dean bit his tongue. "Trying to help you with that problem, Cas." He pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his useless eyes shut.

Castiel glanced at Sam, who'd returned to his laptop and seemed to be ignoring their conversation. "I don't feel comfortable," the angel began, returning his attention to Dean, "singing in the presence of anyone… besides you."

"Is that so?" Dean asked, grinning as he leaned against the headboard, his arms resting behind his head. "Well, aren't I special."

"Of course you are, Dean. You-"

"Do _not_ launch into a sermon about how great and 'righteous' I am, Cas, for the love of God."

"I was under the impression that you don't believe in God, or His love?"

"Figure of speech, Cas."

"I see."

"I don't."

"My apologies."

"Not your fault." Dean sat up, licking his lips as a smirk crept onto his face. "We gonna quit the small talk, or what? This is usually when people start making out."

Castiel blinked, staring at the blinded man in confusion. "I… don't understand…"

Dean rolled his eyes, huffing as he leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. "Joke, Cas."

"Good, because I… am not sure I know what it means to be 'making out'."

"God, Cas, I can _hear_ the air quotes," Dean said. "How do you do that?"

"I… don't kn-"

"Making out is like… really passionate kissing."

Sam lifted his head, drawing his eyebrows together as he looked at his brother. Cas turned and saw him staring, prompting the angel to stand, startled, as Sam looked away.

Sensing the cause of the silence and Castiel's abrupt movement, Dean groaned. "Mind your business, Sammy."

"I didn't say anything, Dean," Sam said casually as he typed away on his computer.

"Well, stop thinking whatever you're thinking."

"If anyone's thinking anything, Dean, it's _you_."

Castiel nodded. "Sam makes a valid point, Dean."

"Shut up, Cas."

"Why would you joke about kissing me?" Castiel asked as his usual squint crept onto his face.

Sam smirked. "Yeah, Dean, why _would_ you? You know, people will often joke about desires they've been repress-"

"Oh, would you _let it go_, Sam?!" Dean made a move to stand, but misjudged his footwork and ended up stumbling into a pair of arms. He exhaled his frustration into the angel's trenchcoat and stood on his own, shoving Castiel's helping hands away. "You saw nothing."

"Dean, you fell on me," Cas stated. "I saw, and felt, everything. And your brother was watching, as well."

Wincing, Dean backed away from his friend. "It sounds really creepy when you say it like that, Cas. Don't do that."

"My apologies."

"Alright, well," Dean felt around the bedside table for his wallet and cellphone, "I'm gettin' tired of this place." He began to carefully find his way to the door. "You two have fun here giggling about my repressed feelings towards Cas. I'm out." As he closed the door behind him, he yelled, "Not that way! I'm not… out... I'm _straight_, damn it!"

Sam shot a worried look at Castiel.

"I'll retrieve your brother, Sam," the angel said before vanishing.

* * *

**Author Note: I don't think Dean's gonna make it very far in his condition, lol. What do you think? :P**

**And I dunno what Dean's been watchin', but I'm pretty sure that's _not_ what people usually do. I think he just wanted to have an excuse to bring up the subject of making out with Cas. ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

"Dean?" Castiel appeared in the middle of the motel parking lot, turning as he peered in every direction for the hunter. "Dean. This is foolish." He shook his head, seeing no sign of the hunter anywhere. Cas knew he couldn't have gotten that far. "Dean!"

Standing still a moment, Castiel listened closely. There was a muffled sound coming from behind him. The angel turned and approached the Impala, beginning to recognize the noise as music. It was too dark to see inside, but Cas knew he'd found the hunter as he opened the passenger side door. "Dean."

The hunter jumped in his seat, then did his best to glare in Cas's general direction. "Damn it, Cas." He sighed. "Well, you found me. Happy?"

Castiel climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door. "It was unwise to come out here in your condition."

Dean turned the radio down as he said, "That's why I didn't leave the parking lot. I'm not an idiot, Cas." There was about a minute of uncomfortable silence before Dean heaved a deep sigh. "Damn it, Cas, what is it?"

"Was… was Sam correct in implying that you have-"

"Sam is an idiot."

"You're avoiding the question, Dean."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dean shook his head. "What? Do I have feelings for you? _Feelings_ feelings? Is that what you wanted to know, Cas?"

"Yes."

"No."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, people believe what they wanna believe."

"What are you suggesting?" Castiel eyed the hunter beside him, tilting his head to one side.

"I'm suggesting that you _want_ me to have feelings for you. Which I don't. I'm not… I like chicks, Cas. Not you." Dean shook his head. "I can't believe we're even _having_ this conversation."

Cas heaved a deep sigh. "Whatever you say, Dean."

"Oh, don't give me that passive aggressive bullshit, Cas," Dean said, his jaw tightening as he turned to open his door. He got out of the car, too upset to mind his step, and hit the ground within seconds.

"Dean!" Cas appeared by the man's side, grabbing his arm to pull him up.

Dean blinked slowly as he stood, rubbing his head with one hand and batting Cas away with the other. "I'm fine, damn it." He looked at Cas for a few seconds before realizing that he was… _looking_ at him. Sucking in a breath, the hunter blinked a few more times, frozen where he stood. He licked his lips, taking in the way Castiel's blue eyes seemed to glow in the dim light.

The angel loosened his grip on Dean's arm. He narrowed his eyes at the man. "You can see," he concluded.

Looking away quickly, Dean shook his head. "Nope," he blurted out dumbly. He reached out for the car door, staring at the floor as he slammed it shut.

"Dean, you were gazing into my eyes for at least 7 sec-"

"I wasn't gazing at you, Cas. I… I still can't see."

"Why are you doing this?" Castiel demanded.

"Damn it, Cas, is it my fault that I'm blind?!" Dean turned, taking a few sure steps before he threw his hands out in front of him and feigned feeling the air for obstacles. "I wasn't staring at you, damn it, I can't see! Sorry to disappoint, but I couldn't make googly eyes at you even if I _wanted_ to. Now, let it go."

Castiel, frowning, followed the hunter to the motel room and sighed. "As you wish, Dean."

* * *

**AUTHOR NOTE: So, Dean's (unofficially) officially sighted! Let's see how long he chooses to play this game with Cas.**

**Apologies for the shortness of this chapter, the next one will be longer, and it'll be the last.**


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